


Just Ask

by LokiOfSassgaard



Category: Across the Universe (2007)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-21
Updated: 2009-12-21
Packaged: 2018-05-28 01:44:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6309439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LokiOfSassgaard/pseuds/LokiOfSassgaard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jude gives Max a bit of advice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Ask

It was the sort of morning where the daylight just couldn't seem to be bothered to come round, a sort of grey haze filtering through the windows. With Lucy still asleep beside him, Jude carefully climbed out of bed, and with a small blanket wrapped quickly round his waist, toed his way out to the kitchen. Barely awake yet, he begins slowly searching through cupboards, finding nothing that really worked for anything resembling a breakfast.

"Haven't you ever heard of pants?"

"Eh?" Jude turned round, finding Max seated at the table in his dressing gown, a half-eaten piece of dry toast in his hand. "Oh. I didn't think anyone else would be up yet." He very kindly neglects to mention the amount of times he'd seen Max's naked arse somewhere around the flat.

"It's half-past two, man," Max pointed out. "Everyone else is out."

Chuckling lightly, Jude joined Max at the table, taking the toast from his friend's hand.

"Hey, that's mine!" Max in sisted.

He lunged across the table at Jude, reaching for the toast. Jude, quick on his feet, jumped back up from his seat and stepped backwards sharply. With the toast in one hand, he struggled to keep the blanket held round his waist. He barely noticed the fabric sliding down off his hips as he ducked and dodged away from Max, the two of them laughing so loudly that they didn't hear the sound of footsteps coming into the kitchen.

"O...kay."

Jude and Max both froze, looking up to see Prudence standing in the door way. After a few moments of stunned stillness, Jude quickly moved to pull the blanket further up his waist.

"I'm... just gonna go find somewhere else to eat," Prudence said slowly as she turned round and left.

As she walked away, Jude did not miss Max's attention staying on her, watching as she quietly made her way through the flat and out of sight.

"Just ask her," Jude said simply, stuffing the toast into his mouth. "Worst that c an happen is she says no."

Max gives him a wry smile. "Oh, yeah," he says. "Easy for you to say. You're English; you get girls throwing themselves at your feet."

Jude chose to ignore that remark entirely. "Just ask her, mate," he said before taking his blanket back to bed.

 

They four of them sat hunkered in a large corner booth, loudly enjoying drink as some nameless band wailed loudly in an out-of-tune frenzy on the stage. Whilst Prudence and Lucy struggled to shout over the noise, Jude and Max exchanged a wordless conversation across the table. Eventually, Jude won the argument. Tapping on Lucy's arm to get her attention, he leaned in close to her.

"There's something I want to talk to you about," he shouted over the noise. "Outside. Just take a minute."

Lucy looked at Max for a moment before nodding. "Okay, yeah."

The two of them climbed out of the booth and quickly made their way toward the door. A few seconds later, Prudence st ood as well.

"Hey, where you going?" Max asked, startled.

"Going to get a new drink," she said. "I'll be right back!"

Max nodded and turned his attention back to the band on stage. As they finished their second song, Max realised that Prudence had been gone off fetching drinks for longer than was perhaps strictly necessary. Confused, he got to his feet, intending to go off hunting for really anybody, only to be quite surprised to see Prudence still at the bar.

Still at the bar, talking to another girl.

Still at the bar, talking to another girl that was now kissing her. Blinking confusedly, Max sat back down and waited for the night to just hurry up and end.

 

"So, what'd she say?" Jude asked later that evening as they walked back home, Prudence and Lucy several steps ahead.

"I think the answer was a resounding 'no'," Max replied flatly.

"Well, what'd she say when you asked her?" Max's silence didn't bode well for Jude. " You did ask her, right?"

"Not as such, no," Max admitted. "Soon as you two left, she got up and went to the bar."

Jude just blinked. "And?"

"And nothing," Max lied. "Forget about it, man."

Frowning, Jude let it go and rushed to catch up with Lucy.

 

"What's wrong with Max?"

Jude looked up from his sketchbook, finding Prudence standing in the doorway. "Oh, I don't know," he said honestly. "I haven't really seen him today."

"I think I've upset him," Prudence said. "He's been avoiding me all week."

Jude shrugged. "I don't know," he repeated. "Have you tried asking him maybe?" When he said it aloud, even he had to admit it sounded absolutely daft, but it was better than the two of them going on like this forever.

Prudence only sighed as she turned around to leave the room.

 

Max didn't return until late that night – later than usual, even for the particular group of people he chose to live with. He had t imed it deliberately, with the intent of not dealing with anybody else. What he was not expecting was to come home to find Prudence asleep at the kitchen table. Heaving a sigh, he walked into the kitchen to rouse Prudence.

"What're you doing in here?" he asked before she was even completely awake.

"Oh." She looked round the kitchen, only slightly confused. "I didn't mean to fall asleep. I wanted to talk to you. Are you mad at me?"

Max sighed tiredly. "No, I'm not mad," he said, perhaps a bit too stiffly.

"You sound mad."

Max rubbed his forehead with his fingers. "Mad? No," he said. "Just... confused?"

She tilts her head slightly. "At what?"

There's really nothing for it. Maybe Jude has a point about just talking. "Well, I wanted to ask you out on Monday, but..."

He stops when he sees the look on Prudence's face; sad, but forgiving.

"Max, we're friends," she says softly. "Let's stay that way, okay?"

"Yeah," Max agree s dully. He pulls her close and kisses her lightly on the forehead. "Go to bed. I'll see you in the morning."


End file.
